How I Met Your Father
by MasterFirebender84
Summary: Katara's young daughter, Makima, dearly misses her Daddy while he's away on Avatar duties. Seeking to comfort her daughter, Katara tells Makima a tale that stretches back through the years to a time when the world was changed with the crack of an iceberg
1. A Timeless Tale

HOORAY! My first update of 2012! :D Oh, this is _so_ exciting! *Ahem* Anyways, just a nice, sweet little fanfic to kick off the year. Just so you all know, "The Promise: Part One" will be updated on Friday, so be sure to keep an eye out. Anyways, enjoy and review! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**How I Met Your Father**

"Mommy! Mommy!" cried out the little girl, giggling as she streamed the excited water around her small body, her young tan face beaming with joyous pride and excitement. "Look at me!"

"I'm looking, Makima," chuckled Katara from her rocking chair, holding her slightly bulging midsection as she reveled in the dark moonlight around them, the frigid South Pole air both comforting her and nipping at her with icy claws. Katara was dressed in a heavy blue parka, which was meant to keep her and her little passenger nice and cozy. Her daughter Makima, a bright young girl of four, also dressed in a parka, giggled and laughed with glee as she continued to Waterbend, taking in all the life-giving energy that the moonbeams were pumping into her small body.

It had been fourteen years since the end of the Hundred Year War, and Aang and Katara were happily married and living in the South Pole. Shortly after their wedding, Katara had discovered that she was pregnant with her and Aang's first child. Nine months later, little Makima was born, a silver-eyed innocent baby with tan skin like her mother and black hair like her father. When Makima was two, Aang and Katara found her melting snow and collecting it into a tiny ball of water, confirming that she was a Waterbender.

Katara was currently expecting her second child, being a few months into her new pregnancy. However, shortly after she and Aang had discovered this wonderful news, her husband had been called away to the Earth Kingdom, summoned by Fire Lord Zuko to help oversee the continuing construction of Republic City, which had begun nearly twelve or thirteen years ago. Republic City was intended to be the capital of the United Republic of Nations, a territory in the Earth Kingdom that was formed by Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko from the old Fire Nation colonies.

"Come on, Makima," called Katara as she slowly stood up from her seat, pressing her hand into her back to support her forward weight. "Time for bed."

"But, Mommy," protested Makima as she sunk her water back into the snow, "I wanted to stay out here and wait for Daddy to get home." Makima frowned and looked up at the night sky, her black braid bobbing slightly as she turned her head toward the heavens.

Katara softly smiled at her daughter, knowing of the pain that her little girl held in her young heart. It had been three months since Aang had left the South Pole, and Makima was still trying to get used to not having him around all the time. After Makima had been born, Aang had taken some time off of his Avatar duties to be with his family so that he could raise his new daughter. This was the first time that Aang had ever left Makima's side, and his young daughter dearly wanted her daddy to come home so she could throw her small arms around his big, strong neck and laugh like she had never laughed before.

Katara held a hand up to her necklace, which was the one Aang had made for her when he proposed to her over four years ago, touching reverent, loving fingers to the symbolic stone. The necklace consisted of a dark blue choker with a pure white stone, engraved with the combined images of Airbending and Waterbending, the darkly etched lines of sky and sea coming together in an unbreakable vow of everlasting love. She remembered how hard Makima had cried in the first few weeks of her father's departure, and how she herself would go to sleep with tear-filled eyes, whispering ghost-like words of love to Aang, hoping dearly that somehow, someway, her beloved husband would hear her words and smile, knowing that he was indeed missed back home.

Dropping her fingers, Katara kindly called out, "Makima, sweetie." Her daughter looked back at her with glistening silver eyes, which seemed to quiver in the moonlight, telling of untold yet understood pain. Warmly smiling, Katara held out her arms and said, "Come here." Makima ran over to Katara, stopping just in front of her so that her mother could pick her up and prop her up on her hip. Walking inside of their frozen home, Katara entered Makima's room and set her down on the bed so that they could sit side-by-side. Running her fingers through Makima's hair, Katara asked, "Have I ever told you the story of how I met your father?"

"No, Mommy," murmured Makima, her voice full of sadness as she leaned against her mother's arm. Katara smiled down at Makima, kissing her head in order to try and help alleviate the heaviness in her daughter's heart.

Wrapping an arm around Makima's shoulder, Katara placed her free hand on her bulging stomach as she said, "Well, you know that he's the Avatar, right?"

"Mmhmm," nodded Makima, whose shaking eyes made it seem as if they would burst out with tears at any moment.

"Well," said Katara in a bright tone, "what would you say if I told you that it was _me_ who helped him return to the world so that he could defeat the Fire Nation?"

Makima's head instantly whipped up to look at Katara, her sharp eyes full of surprise. Makima had heard the story of how her father and his friends had ended the Hundred Year War, but not _how_ he had gotten to that point. "_You're _the reason why Daddy's here?"

"In a way," admitted Katara with a small laugh and slight shrug of her shoulders. Seeing Makima giddily smile in anticipation, Katara chuckled and kissed her head again, saying, "But it's too late to tell stories. It's time for sleep."

"No it's not, Mommy!" protested Makima, throwing her small arms around Katara to keep herself from going anywhere. Looking up at her mother with just the cutest look in the history of the world, Makima urgently pleaded, "Please, Mommy, tell me how you met Daddy! I wanna know!"

"Maybe in the morning, my little sweetie," teased Katara, warmly smiling down at her frantic daughter.

"No!" retorted Makima with a shake of her head. "I wanna hear the story now!"

"All right," sighed Katara, feigning defeat for the sake of her daughter but still smiling all the same, "but you have to promise that you'll go to sleep as soon as I'm done."

"I promise!" quickly assured Makima, holding up her little pinky for Katara to grasp. Katara affectionately chuckled, remembering that this was her daughter's way of ensuring that her promises would be fulfilled. Katara held up her own pinky and interlaced it with her daughter's, eliciting a wide smile from the toddler. Makima threw herself back into the bed, hastily covering herself up with the fur-lined blankets and expectantly looking at her mother, her sterling eyes just _begging_ for the story to be told already.

"Long ago," began Katara, sidling up so that she could better support her unborn child, "when I just a young girl of fourteen, your Uncle Sokka and I went on a fishing trip to the Southern Floes to get some food for our village. This was about two years after your Grandpa Hakoda left with the rest of the men of our village to go fight in the Earth Kingdom against the Fire Nation."

"Was it because of what happened to Grandma Kya?" timidly asked Makima, knowing how sensitive that subject was to her mother. Katara sadly glanced down at the floor, her heart throbbing with mournful contractions as she remembered her beloved mother. Just a month before, on the anniversary of Kya's death, Makima had found her mother sobbing in her room. When her daughter had asked why she was crying, Katara told her the story of the day that her mother had died. As a result, Makima felt very much closer to Katara, not even daring to bring up the subject of Grandma Kya for fear of upsetting her mother. Seeing a few tears leak into her mother's eyes, Makima guiltily murmured, "I'm sorry, Mommy. I didn't mean to make you cry."

Katara gently smiled, giving off a small, soft laugh and wiping away her tears as she looked back at Makima with quavering eyes. Taking Makima's hand in hers, Katara kindly said, "You don't need to be sorry about anything, Makima. I…I just don't you to go through the same pain that I did." Lightly squeezing her hand, she added, "You mean so much to me and your father, and I couldn't live with myself if you were in that much pain because of me."

"But you could never hurt me, Mommy," truthfully protested Makima. Brightly smiling, she added, "I'm always happy when you're around."

Grateful for Makima's words, Katara smiled before she continued. "As I was saying, your Uncle and I were fishing, and I ended up catching one with my Waterbending." Katara heartily chuckled as she said, "The only problem was that his spear had burst the bubble the fish was in, and it ended up getting away, leaving him completely soaked." Her heart reveled in the laughter that burst out of Makima, such a pure and innocent sound full of nothing but happiness and mirth.

"Uncle Sokka's so silly," giggled Makima, squirming under her covers with glee.

"That he is," mirthfully agreed Katara. "Anyways, your Uncle and I ended up getting caught in some nasty rapids, and we ended up stranded on an ice floe after our canoe got smashed. Of course, your Uncle blamed _me_ for getting us into that mess." Chuckling, Katara added, "Needless to say, I was less than happy with him, and I ended up yelling at him for being such an immature blockhead. I got so mad, in fact, that my Waterbending got out of control and I ended up smashing a glacier behind us."

"Whoa," said Makima in amazement, her young eyes full of wonder and awe. "I wish _I_ could Waterbend like that."

"Maybe one day, my little sweetie," lovingly smiled Katara. "After the glacier had fallen apart, a domed iceberg rose out of the waves, glowing this strange blue light that neither of us had seen before. Inside, I could see this big, six-legged beast."

"Appa!" cried out Makima, knowing who Katara was referring to.

"Are you going to let me tell the story or not?" jokingly asked Katara. Seeing Makima settle down and quiet herself, Katara smiled and said, "And underneath the creature, I could see a boy sitting cross-legged, both his fists touching each other. The strange thing, however, was that he was completely bald, and he had glowing arrow tattoos on his hands and on his head. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing pure white, much whiter than even the crispest snowfall that the South Pole has ever seen."

"I knew that the boy needed help, so I grabbed your Uncle's club and ran for the iceberg, frantic to free the boy from his icy prison. I smashed the club as hard as I could against the ice dome, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, the ice cracked open, sending out a blast of air that knocked me into your Uncle. When we looked back up, we saw a great beam of light shoot into the sky, destroying the ice dome and crumbling it to pieces."

Makima was silent the entire time, taking great interest in the perhaps the greatest tale of her mother's life: the day that the Avatar returned to the world, rekindling hope in the hearts of the despondent and desolate.

"There was this strange blue aurora above the remains of the ice dome, and that's when we saw the boy stand up. His eyes and tattoos were still glowing with that strange light. I wasn't sure who or what he was, but I knew that he was special in some way. Suddenly, the light faded away along with the aurora, and the boy crumpled and fell. I caught him just before he hit the ground, though your Uncle was very suspicious of the boy, poking in the head with the end of his spear. After I told your Uncle to stop that, I looked back down at the boy."

For some strange reason, Katara thought she felt another presence in the room, watching her as she interacted with her daughter. The presence seemed familiar even though she couldn't feel it, but her heart began to pound nonetheless. Deciding to ignore the sensation, she continued on with her story.

"The boy groaned as he opened his eyes, which were this startling, handsome gray, and I smiled, knowing that he was going to be okay. He told me that he needed to ask me something, and he told me to come closer so that I could hear him."

"What did he ask you, Mommy?" curiously asked Makima, her eyes full of excitement and anxiety, just dying to know what had happened on that fateful day.

Just as Katara was about to answer, a strong, confident voice behind her said, "Will you go penguin sledding with me?" Both females suddenly whipped around, seeing a man lean in the doorway, his orange Master Airbender robe making a stark contrast to the blue and white around them. His bald head was adorned with a single blue arrow, his magnificent gray eyes full of pride, love, confidence, gentleness, and countless other emotions that made Katara's heart flutter as soon as her sapphire eyes fell on him, making her smile and blush with great affection.

Makima gasped, her face spreading into a humungous smile as she happily exclaimed, "Daddy!" She threw herself out of the bed, sprinting the short distance from the bed to the door and leaping into Aang's arms, which enveloped her as he belted a mighty laugh. Makima squeezed her father with all her small might, giggling like the child she was as she said, "I missed you, Daddy!"

"I missed you too, my little sweetie," warmly said Aang, holding onto his beloved daughter and never wanting to let her go. He kissed her sweet little head, making her giggle as Katara got up from the bed. Katara walked over to her husband, whose smile widened at the sight of her. "And I can't forget the lovely lady of the house," charmingly said Aang as he propped Makima on his hip, freeing up his hand so that he could interlace it with Katara's fingers, bringing her in for a longing kiss that she whole-heartedly returned.

Separating from their kiss, Katara warmly chuckled as she nuzzled into Aang's cheek, affectionately saying, "Welcome home, dear."

Aang kissed her forehead, happily saying, "It's great to be home, my love." She blushed against him, craving to sleep beside him once more, bringing an end to all those restless nights that she had spent without him. Turning his attention to Makima, Aang asked, "So how's your Waterbending going, my little penguin?"

"It's going great, Daddy!" jubilantly announced Makima, practically bouncing in her father's arms. "Mommy taught me a lot after you left, but I don't think she can do so much Waterbending now because of the new baby."

"I see," nodded Aang, happy to hear the news. Setting Makima down, he said, "Why don't you get into bed? I want to talk to Mommy for a little bit."

"Promise me that you'll tuck me in?" meekly asked Makima, holding up her little pinky for Aang to grasp.

"Promise," Aang chuckled as he reached out with his own hand, intertwining his pinky with his daughter's, making her smile with joy. The toddler ran back to her bedside, jumping into the bed and pulling up the covers, sitting up as she patiently waited for her parents to finished talking.

"We'll be back in a bit," assured Aang, leading Katara out of Makima's room, leading her down the hall to their own room. Making their way inside, they sat on the bed, hands still connected and hearts still bonded, smiling with the brightest and purest of love in their eyes. Aang contentedly sighed, saying, "You're as beautiful as ever, Katara."

"And you're still as handsome as ever, Aang," pleasurably retorted Katara, lightly squeezing her hand against his, the very touch of his skin making her feel young again. His eyes sparkled in the moonlight that streamed through their window, his entire being glowing a healthy light as he fondly stared into her eyes, gazing through the cerulean windows into her wondrous soul. Finally, Katara asked, "How are things going in Republic City?"

"Better than expected," confidently said Aang with a certain smile. "The construction is on schedule and everyone's getting along just fine. They don't even need my help that much."

"That's great," said Katara with a smile, sincerely meaning each word both her voice and her heart was telling him. Placing a hand on her stomach, she chuckled and said, "This little one right here missed you a lot these past few months."

"Is that so?" jokingly chuckled Aang. He leaned down and tenderly pressed his ear to her stomach, softly whispering, "Hey, little buddy. Have you been giving Mommy much trouble while I was gone?" Katara chuckled as Aang listened to the silence of her womb, smiling and nodding as if their unborn child were speaking to him.

"Not really," said Katara, "but I know that our little baby did miss you."

"Just as I missed you and Makima," warmly replied Aang, tilting his head up towards Katara and resting his chin on her stomach, reaching up with his free hand and smiling as he cupped her cheek in his firm yet gentle palm. Katara smiled and placed her free hand on his, pressing his hand closer to her face so that she could have more of him than she was allowed these past few months. "Have you and Makima been getting along well?" he asked as he sat back up, dropping his hand from her face and resting it on her stomach, feeling the tiny life that lay within the skin that he loved to caress in precious times.

"We've really bonded these past few months," replied Katara. Holding her head down and looking down at their hands, she sighed and added, "Last month, on the anniversary of my mother's death, Makima saw me crying." She closed her eyes, trying to conceal the pain that threatened to consume her, knowing that Aang was looking at her with utmost concern and worry.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to comfort you," he guiltily said, his voice heavy with shame and self-disappointment.

"Aang," softly said Katara as she opened her eyes and looked up at him, "you don't have to be sorry about anything. I told Makima why I was crying, the story of how my mother died, and ever since, she's been much closer to me than before."

"Because she doesn't want to lose you," reasoned Aang, his voice still berating himself for not being there for the partner of his heart in one of her greatest times of need.

"Just like we don't want to lose you," quietly murmured Katara, her voice carrying a great truthfulness and sincerity to her words. "We can never abandon our children, Aang. Not before they're ready to take on the world."

"And we won't abandon them," assured Aang, "not as long as we have each other." Husband and wife smiled at one another, reminded of the vows that they had given each other on that momentous day so long ago, remembering them day after day as they held each other in their hearts, never forgetting how close their lives were intertwined, how inseparable they had become with the passage of time. As much as he didn't want to leave Katara's side, he still had his young daughter to tuck in. Giving Katara a sweet, but nonetheless heartwarming, kiss on the lips, he softly whispered, "I'll be back in a moment."

"And I'll be waiting," promised Katara, returning the gentle peck to his lips, watching as he left her side, throwing her one last wink before he slipped out the door, his gorgeous smile making her skin tingle with love. She looked out at the window, watching the moonbeams as they streamed in, happily sighing as she said, "If you could only see me now, Mom, living the life you always wanted for me: a loving husband and the sweetest little girl to call my own, plus another baby on the way for me to hold and love just like you did with Sokka and I."

Her mother's words echoed in her mind, a distant memory brought to life as a result of this magical evening: _Your children will be your most precious gifts in life, Katara, just as your future husband will be. Never let them go and never leave them, for you and your husband will take an incredible journey as you watch them grow up, making you ever so proud of them from day to day. Never forget your family, my little angel; never forget…_

After almost ten minutes, Aang came back in, quietly saying, "She's finally asleep."

"Perfect," whispered Katara, moving over in the bed so that Aang could lie next to her. She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, humming as they nuzzled into each other, holding each other closer than ever before in these past few months. "I love you so much, Aang," she whispered, delicately kissing his chin, snuggling ever closer to her eternal love.

"I love you even more, Katara," he whispered in reply, kissing her head in a tender manner. "And I'll always love you, now until the end of time."

"Even longer than that, my love," smiled Katara, closing her eyes as she felt her soul meld with his. "Always, now and forever, we'll be together."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Aang, sighing as he rested against his Forever Girl, closing his eyes as he felt his heart sing with exuberant joy at having been reunited with Katara again. "I wouldn't have it any other way…"


	2. High Expectations

Didn't expect this, did ya? :P Yes, this chapter is the result of a tiny little thing that **ABFG **spotted in the first chapter, something that I had overlooked but am seeking to regard with this new chapter. Anyways, you'll see what I mean in a moment, so enjoy and review! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**High Expectations**

"Beautiful sunrise, isn't it buddy?" cheerfully asked Aang as he laid back on Appa's head, gazing up at the clear arctic sky with wandering eyes, watching as the crimson morning sun turned the snow a dark red, painting a vivid canvas on the frozen landscape. Appa, who was resting near his master's home, grunted his reply, lifting his massive head slightly towards the open sky, as if considering whether or not he should take off and frolic among the frigid clouds. Deciding against it, he dropped his head back down to the snow, resting his large chin in his paws.

Aang took a deep breath, gently exhaling it through his mouth, enjoying the nipping and tingling sensations that the chilled air brought to his insides, a strange rush that made his body feel alive. "The world just feels so much better, so right with all this peace and harmony," he thoughtfully mused, folding his arms behind his bald head as he enjoyed the early morning hours in his adopted home, the place he had called his own shortly after his marriage to Katara.

Aang happily sighed, closing his eyes as he whispered, "This is what we've been fighting for all along." Smiling, he added, "And you know what? It was all worth it." He was silent for several minutes, allowing the sunrise to wash over him, awakening his inner Firebender just as it did each and every day, conflagrating his chi with pulsating energy and life.

"Daddy?" tiredly murmured a small voice from below him, making him open his eyes with surprise and sit up from his seat, his arms falling down and resting near his sides. Down below him was his daughter, rubbing her drowsy eyes as she yawned, dressed in her usual parka that Katara had made for her.

"Well, good morning, my little penguin," greeted Aang in a cheery tone as he smiled, jumping off of Appa and alighting on the snow below him. He scooped his baby girl up into his arms, making her sleepily giggle as he kissed her head, saying, "What are you doing up, little sweetie? You should be sleeping, not freezing your little braid off out here with me and Appa."

"Gotta practice my Waterbending," mumbled Makima in reply, lethargically yawning as she snuggled into Aang's shoulder, smiling a little and closing her eyes as she found a comfortable place to rest on her father.

"Practice?" laughed Aang, gently kissing Makima's cheek. "The Tiger-Seal pups are still dreaming with their mamas, and _you're_ already practicing Waterbending?"

"Mommy says I have to if I want to be a Master Waterbender," muttered Makima, her young body practically giving off an aura of drowsiness that would make even Ty Lee yawn and fall asleep on the spot.

Aang was taken a bit aback by Makima's statement. "Honey," he concernedly said, gently nudging her awake, "you're far too young to be out here practicing your Waterbending so early. You need your sleep."

"No, Daddy," weakly protested Makima, slightly struggling against him. "I have to…practice…for Mommy…" The young toddler trailed off, her sterling silver eyes shutting closed as her tiredness finally overtook her, taking her off to the land of dreams.

Aang heavily sighed, making his way back inside the house, tenderly depositing Makima back into her bed and quietly leaving her room, quietly whispering to himself, "What have you done, Katara?" He went back to their room, finding his wife standing in front of her vanity mirror, straightening out her billowing hair with a whale-tooth comb. She was wearing her usual heavy parka, which helped to keep both her and the child she was expecting very warm and cozy.

Katara noticed Aang's reflection in the mirror and, without turning around, smiled and said, "Good morning, Aang. Have you seen Makima?"

"I have, as a matter of fact," firmly replied Aang, angling his eyebrows downward and crossing his arms, frowning at the reflection of his wife.

Katara's smile dropped at her husband's stern look, putting her brush down as she turned around and stared at Aang with confused eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

"What is Makima doing getting up so early in order to practice her Waterbending?" sternly asked Aang, glaring at Katara with rock hard eyes, his gray irises roiling into a thunderstorm which he struggled to contain.

"Aang," sighed Katara, "she needs to learn more about Waterbending-"

"That doesn't give you the right to push her so hard!" snapped Aang, jabbing an accusing finger at Katara, making her jump with fear and surprise. "She's only _four-years old_, Katara!

"Don't you yell at me, mister!" retorted Katara, narrowing her raging sapphire eyes at the Avatar. "She's my daughter, and I'll teach her the way I want to!"

"You mean _our_ daughter, Katara!" corrected Aang, dropping his arm and taking a few angry steps towards Katara. "It's _both_ of our jobs to raise her, and what you're doing is wrong!"

Katara gaped at Aang, furiously gritting her teeth and clenching her shaking fists. "How dare you!" she exclaimed in a hostile tone, getting up in Aang's face and giving him a threatening look. "I've practically been a mother my entire life; you have no right to criticize me on the way I raise my daughter!"

Seeing the sea of furious anger and rage tossing and turning in Katara's eyes, also feeling the turmoil and justifiable outrage storming in his own heart, Aang closed his eyes and wearily sighed. "Look," he calmly said as he opened his eyes, all anger gone from his strong voice, "let's just calm down." As Katara backed off, still scowling at him, he gestured to her and asked, "Why do you feel so compelled to make Makima a Waterbending master at such an early age? She's only four!"

Katara scoffed, putting a hand under her bulging stomach as she incredulously asked, "Isn't it obvious? As the daughter of the Avatar, she'll be expected to be better in the ways of bending than anyone else here in the South Pole." Placing a free hand on her chest, she added, "As one of the few true Masters in the whole South Pole, it's _my_ responsibility to teach Makima everything I know."

"Katara," said Aang in a placating tone, "I've never made a big deal out of my status as the Avatar. If anything, it's made me a more humble man over the years. I'm not perfect, Katara; I'm just as human as you, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, Suki, and everyone else in the entire world. I make mistakes, I screw up, and I gain new knowledge every day, sometimes even challenging my own perceptions on the way the world works."

"But Makima's still your daughter," reasoned Katara, her eyes softening and losing their hardened edge. "Any children we have are going to under a lot of pressure to live up to your legacy, and, as the oldest child, Makima's going to have to grow up at a faster rate. Even the way I talk to her sometimes is way more mature than someone her age would be able to understand."

"Then why do you do it?" pleadingly asked Aang, taking one step towards Katara and taking her hand in his, seeking to make up for yelling at her just moments before. "Why do you treat our daughter as something she's not? She's only four years old, Katara; she should be out there playing with penguins and using her Waterbending for fun, being a little kid instead of being forced to wake up with the sun in order to practice her Waterbending."

Katara sighed, holding her head down and closing her eyes, her heart heavy with guilt and shame after hearing Aang's words, knowing that she had indeed been wrong. Half-opening her eyes, she quietly said, "I…I just want her to be ready, in case…in case something happens to one or both of us." Looking back up at Aang, she said, "For most of my life, I grew up much faster than all the other girls around me. It made me strong, made me the person who I am today. I just want our daughter to grow up in a way similar to mine, taking on responsibilities that others her age would never face in the hopes that she'll grow up to be a formidable person that people will look up to and respect."

"Katara," kindly said Aang, resting his forehead against hers, "you lost your mother when you were only twice as old as Makima is now. You were forced into a life that you weren't ready for; you couldn't control that. But Makima is lucky to have her mother around, and that's why you need to let her be her own person." Smirking at his wife, he added, "Besides, I know she'll grow up to be a wonderful person because she has to us to guide her and love her for who she is, not want we want her to be. Makima doesn't need to master Waterbending at this moment; in time, yes, but for now, she needs to be the little four-year old she was meant to be."

Guilty tears sprung to Katara's eyes, hating herself for putting her precious little girl through so much at such a tender age. "I'm a horrible person…" she murmured, clenching her eyes shut and biting her lip, glistening droplets of regret trailing her quivering cheeks as she struggled to contain her sorrow.

Aang lovingly kissed her lips, whispering, "No you're not, my precious Moon Lily." Kissing away her tears, he added, "You're an absolutely wonderful, loving, and caring person. You might have had the right intentions in mind, but just the wrong way of executing those intentions." Smiling as Katara opened her eyes, he pecked her lips again. "Now come on, Mom, show me a smile." Seeing Katara lightly smile at his efforts to cheer her up, he gave an airy chuckle as he said, "That's better."

"Can you forgive me for being such an idiot?" meekly asked Katara, her voice tiny and insignificant compared to his.

"I'll always forgive you," promised Aang as he charmingly smiled at her, making her smile even wider than before. "Now come on," he beckoned, standing just a little apart from her, "you've got a daughter to apologize to." Katara nodded, and the two parents made their way to Makima's room, peeking in the doorway, smiling as they saw Makima's tiny form lightly rising and falling under the covers.

Taking in a shaky breath, Katara made her way towards the bedside, gently sitting down next to Makima's sleeping from. "Makima, sweetie," softly called Katara, leaning down and tenderly kissing her daughter's cheek, causing the toddler to stir from her sleep. "Mommy needs to talk to you."

"Mmm?" moaned Makima as she sat up, rubbing her tiny hands in her sleepy eyes as she tried to wake herself up once more. Her silver eyes finally focusing, she slowly said, "Yes, Mommy?"

Taking Makima's hands in hers, Katara said, "Sweetie, Mommy hasn't been very nice to you lately. I've been treating you like a big, grown-up girl when you're still my precious little baby." Smiling, she added, "You don't need to be up every morning practicing your Waterbending; you need to spend more time playing with your toys, the penguins, and with me and Daddy, just being the cute little girl that you are. Can you forgive Mommy for being such a dodo-head?"

Makima sleepily smiled, throwing her arms around Katara's neck as she murmured, "You're not a dodo-head, Mommy." Katara chuckled as she embraced her daughter, bringing a piece of her flesh and blood ever closer to her heart. Aang smiled from his place at the doorway, glad to see the situation peacefully resolved. He was still unnerved at himself for having yelled at Katara, but it was just his natural instinct to protect Makima, a piece of himself that he had made with Katara, combining the flesh of a Water Tribeswoman with the heart of an Air Nomad. Coming out of their embrace, Makima cutely asked, "Can we all go penguin sledding after my nap?"

"You and Daddy can go penguin sledding," assured Katara as she tucked Makima back in. Patting her bulging stomach, she jokingly added, "Your little brother or sister won't let me go sledding with you."

"Will you go penguin sledding with me after the baby gets here?" asked Makima, her little eyes already beginning to slide shut.

"We'll see," promised Katara, smiling sweetly down at Makima.

"Promise?" Makima lifted up her pinky, wanting her mother to affirm her statement.

Katara intertwined her own pinky with Makima's as she smiled. "Promise."

"Yay…" softly whispered Makima, her small arm falling from Katara's as sleep overtook her, keeping hold of her till only Spirits know when.

Katara gently chuckled and kissed Makima's forehead, whispering, "Sleep tight, my starry-eyed baby." She quietly got up from the bed, making her way over towards Aang, the two of them sneaking out of Makima's room and stealthily closing the door behind them. Smiling at Aang, Katara took hold of his hand, forcing him to look over at her. "Thank you for that, Aang. I don't know what I'd do without you around."

"Go insane, probably," chuckled Aang, his wife chuckling along with him as they made their way back to their room, snuggling together just like old times, back when they were wide-eyed children, staring up at the stars and wondering what kind of future they would have together. Doubts and worries were always eased from their hearts when they held each other, knowing that they were safe in the arms of love.

Sweetly kissing Aang's forehead, Katara warmly said, "You're the wind beneath my wings, Sky Guy."

Chuckling as he kissed her chin, Aang said, "And you're the ocean of my heart, Moon Lily." They both chuckled as they snuggled together for their daytime nap, letting their dreams meld together, watching as their precious Makima grew up under the warm and loving canopy that their hearts provided, making them proud of her with each passing day, knowing that this, after all, was what they fought for.


	3. A New Life Is Born

Another chapter, so soon? Why, it must be your lucky day! :D Yes, it seems I've got quite a lot of support for this story despite it having been just a little blurb in my mind when I first wrote it up. :P Anyways, I've decided to continue on with this story so that all of Aang and Katara's children can hear the story of how they met, so expect some more chapters after this one. :) But, I must sadly announce that I am starting school back up tomorrow, so sometimes my update speeds may not be as frequent as before. Don't worry, dear fans; I shall continue to write for your enjoyment. :D Please enjoy this newest update, and don't forget to review! :D

Oh, and I must also announce that I got 540 hits and 215 visitors yesterday to my stories. That is literally the first time I've not only gone over 400 hits, but also 500 hits. Seriously, folks, that's a LOT of reading. Thanks to all those who visited my stories that day. :D

Responses:

**AvatarFan128**: Thank you so much for enjoying this story, and I'm so sorry that I had to discontinue "A Lifetime of Love". The story really wasn't going anywhere fast, and I just couldn't find any inspiration or willpower to continue it. As fun as it was to write, it had run its course and needed to be laid to rest. However, I'm glad that you think this story "fixes" that little situation. :) Again, I'm terribly sorry to see a story go, but it just happens sometimes and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**A New Life Is Born**

"Just keep pushing, Katara," instructed Kanna from the foot of the bed. "This should all be over soon."

Katara, completely fatigued and exhausted by the day's labor, painfully screamed as she tried to push the baby out, mind-numbing agony coursing through her body with lightning speed. Aang, who was sitting next to the bed and holding his wife's hand for comfort, supportively said over Katara's screaming, "You can do it, Katara! Just keep pushing!"

The screaming stopped as Katara collapsed against her pillows, heaving gasps and pants emanating from her mouth as she tried to ready herself for another round of pushing, her face completely drenched with sweat and salty tears. Between breaths, Katara raggedly asked, "Why does…it have to…hurt so much?"

"Life's greatest treasures always come with the greatest pains," wisely said Aang, making Katara look over at him, her brilliant eyes filled with pain that he could never experience and yet understood through his bond with her. He wistfully smirked and added, "You've put up with me for forever, haven't you?"

"Ha ha, Aang, very funny," sarcastically drawled Katara, chuckling as she rolled her eyes, feeling the stinging and ripping sensations of her labor fade slightly away in the midst of her mirth. Feeling a few grateful tears intermingle with the painful ones, she sincerely smiled at Aang and lovingly said, "I seriously can't thank you enough for being here for me."

"Together forever, remember?" smiled Aang, tenderly kissing her fingers as she chuckled again, both of them reminded of the vows they took on their wedding day so long ago.

"Forever together," heartily replied Katara, feeling her heart ache with the unbearable yet needed weight of the love she held for her husband, knowing that he was one of her life's greatest treasures and that the Spirits had made this man for her and her alone.

"Let's try again, Katara," interrupted Kanna. Her granddaughter sighed and braced herself against the pillows, screaming her throat raw as she continued to push, unimaginable shards of anguish stabbing into her heart and mind with each passing second of torture. Aang could only watch and offer his love through comforting words and affectionate gestures, and he knew his company was enough for her in this most precious of times.

Outside of the birthing room, little Makima sat in her Uncle Sokka's lap, fighting hard to keep her tears from falling down her face at the terrifying sound of her mother's screams. With Sokka was his wife Suki and their three children: Yansu, their seven year-old son with tan skin and blue eyes like his father and auburn hair like his mother, which was pulled back into a warrior's wolf-tail; Sakumo, their four year-old son with sea-green eyes like his mother, tan skin like his father, and pitch black hair that hung loosely on his shaggy head; and Rikari, their precious seven month-old baby girl that Suki was now cradling in her arms, who had her father's eyes, her mother's skin, and dark red hair. Of course, all three children were nonbenders, given the fact that both of their parents were nonbenders themselves.

Sokka noticed the distraught his niece was going through and, in order to comfort her, hugged her as he smiled and said, "Hey, kiddo, what's wrong?" Suki looked over as Sokka asked his question, bouncing little Rikari in her arms as she did so.

Makima whimpered as she backed into Sokka's chest, a stray tear trailing down her cheek as she timidly murmured, "I'm scared."

"About what, sweetie?" concernedly asked Suki, absent-mindedly swatting away a finger that Sakumo was trying to use to pick his nose. Yansu chuckled a little at Sakumo's expense, making the younger boy scowl at his older brother.

"About Mommy…" quietly replied Makima, fear evident in her young voice. Her entire being shook against Sokka, trembling with uncertainty and fright as she heard her mother scream again. Makima clasped her hands over her ears, crying slightly as she tried to block out the awful noises, wishing that they would go away only to have them come back and haunt her just minutes later.

"Hey," kindly said Sokka once Katara's screaming had died down, carefully removing Makima's hands from her ears, "there's no need to be scared." Hearing Makima sniffle as she wiped away a tear, he smiled and said, "Your Daddy's in there with your Mommy, making sure that everything goes okay with the new baby." Moving Makima so that she faced him better, he asked, "And does your Daddy ever let anything bad happen to your Mommy?"

Makima shook her head, her lips trembling as she softly said, "No, Uncle Sokka…"

"Then why so glum, chum?" chuckled Sokka, kissing his niece on the forehead. "Why so sad?"

"I don't want Mommy to hurt anymore," meekly replied Makima, wiping away tears that had yet to fall. "I want Mommy to stop screaming; I want to be there with Mommy and hug Mommy and tell Mommy how scared I was and tell Mommy I love her."

Taking her face in his hands, Sokka assuredly said, "Makima, once the baby gets here, I'll take you in there myself so you can do all those things with your Mommy. Does that sound good?" Makima nodded her little head as more tears streamed down her face. Sokka warmly smiled as he pulled his niece into a hug and said, "I love you, Makima."

Makima returned the hug, burying her face in Sokka's shoulder as she murmured, "I love you too, Uncle Sokka." Suki smiled down at the warm scene, knowing how much Sokka loved their little niece, and she was truly grateful to have his support in such a tender and frightful time in Makima's life.

Just then, Yansu walked over to Sokka and Makima, making both of them take notice of him. Yansu smiled as he put a hand on Makima's shoulder and patted it, saying, "Don't be scared, Makima. I went through the same thing when my Mommy had Sakumo and Rikari. Sure, it seems really bad when you can't be there with Auntie Katara, but it's all going to be okay when the baby gets here."

"Promise, Yansu?" Makima held up her little pinky, which her cousin grasped with his own.

"Promise," proudly smiled Yansu, making little Makima smile with a little more certainty than before. Katara screamed at that moment, making Makima yelp and clasp her ears again, screwing her eyes shut as she tried to block out the horrid screaming. Yansu took hold of her hand, forcing her to look at him with confused eyes as he said, "Everything's going to okay, Makima." Giving his cousin a little smirk, he added, "I don't like screaming either."

"Really?" confusedly asked Makima.

"Yeah," chuckled Yansu. With a shrug, he added, "Guess it's something we both don't like." Makima gratefully smiled at the company Yansu was providing, while Sakumo looked like he was going to fall asleep at any moment from sheer boredom.

"Momma, I'm _bored_," complained Sakumo. "When's Auntie Katara's baby gonna get here?"

"The baby will get here when it gets here, Sakumo," patiently responded Suki, propping up Rikari on her hip as the little infant cooed.

"But it's taking _forever_!" whined Sakumo, slumping against the wall as he looked up with hopeless eyes.

"These things take time, son," reasoned Sokka.

"But, Dad-" Sakumo began to complain, but a stern look from Suki cut him off. Defeated, Sakumo hung his head down, heavily sighing with boredom as he slumped further down the wall.

Suddenly, Katara's screaming died down as a new sound filled the house: the shrill cry of a newborn child. Everyone looked over towards the birthing room as Kanna proudly announced over the shrieking newborn, "It's a boy!" Suki excitedly gasped at the news, an overjoyed smile taking flight on her face.

"Well, I'll be!" joyfully laughed Sokka. He looked down at Makima and happily said, "Sounds like you've got a little brother, Makima!"

"That's so cool!" piped up Sakumo, having overcome his boredom with the arrival of his new cousin.

"Can we go in now?" immediately asked Makima, her face bright with the hope of seeing her mother again.

"Not just yet," chuckled Sokka. Seeing Makima pout, he added, "Your Great Gran-Gran's gotta take care of your brother first and have your Mommy and Daddy see him before you come in."

"Okay, Uncle Sokka…" sighed Makima as she leaned against her uncle's shoulder. Sokka chuckled as he kissed Makima's head, knowing how eagerly his niece wanted to be back with her Mommy.

Ten minutes later, once the screaming infant had quieted, the door to the birthing room opened, making all heads swivel towards it as Kanna appeared and said, "Makima, your parents want to see you."

Sokka could feel Makima tighten with anxiety and apprehension, and he knew that she needed his support. He stood up and propped Makima on his hip, saying, "I'll take her in, Gran-Gran." Smirking, he added, "I'd like to take a look at my first nephew as well."

"Of course, Sokka," nodded Kanna with a smile, stepping aside and allowing him and Makima to walk through, closing the door behind them and leaving the others to wait until they were called upon.

Once the door closed, Suki looked down at Yansu and sincerely said, "That was very nice of you to comfort your cousin, Yansu." Her eldest son looked back at her and smiled, his young face beaming with pride.

Inside the birthing room, Makima found herself staring wide-eyed at her parents, who were smiling at her as Sokka set her down on the floor. Makima noticed a little white bundle in her mother's arms, and she wondered what could be in that bundle. Makima looked up at her mother, who looked exhausted but very much glad to see her daughter in the room. She walked over to her father, who scooped her up as he affectionately said, "Hey, sweetie. Mommy and I missed you."

"What are you holding, Mommy?" curiously asked Makima, staring down at the strange little thing in her mother's arm, quite unsure of what to make of it. All of the fear and anxiety she had felt earlier seemed to disappear, replaced by an insatiable curiosity at this new thing in her mother's arm, her sterling silver eyes full of questioning and interest.

Katara chuckled as she propped up the bundle, saying, "Your little brother, sweetie. Makima, meet Noma." Makima leaned closer to the bundle, gasping when she realized that there was a little baby all swaddled up in sheets of white. Noma was a handsome little thing, with tan skin like his mother's and his father's rounded head, his hair a dark brown like his mother's. The infant creaked open his eyes a little, cooing as his cerulean irises were shown for the first time.

"My brother…" Makima whispered to herself, hardly believing what she was seeing. He had the same skin as her, and he looked so similar to her parents that there was no doubt that he was indeed related to her. Looking up at her mother with wondering eyes, she asked, "Are we keeping him, Mommy?"

Both Aang and Katara laughed, and even Sokka chortled a little at Makima's question. "Of course we are, sweetheart," mirthfully chuckled Katara.

"Can I hold him?" asked Makima, feeling a sudden need to feel a lot closer to her new kin. Katara smiled and nodded, carefully handing over the bundle to Aang, who gently placed Noma in Makima's small arms but kept his own hands close by in order to keep the newborn from falling to the floor.

Sokka peered over Aang's shoulder and smiled down at the newborn, chuckling as he said, "Well, I've certainly got a looker for a nephew, don't I?"

"Sokka," playfully admonished Katara as she shook her head, watching Makima stare down at Noma in awe-struck wonder.

"Congratulations, buddy," proudly said Sokka as he patted Aang on the back, brightly smiling at his brother-in-law. Aang appreciatively smiled at Sokka before returning his gaze to Makima, who was still staring down at Noma with wide eyes.

"My little brother…" Makima whispered to herself in amazement, as if her new status as the older sister stunned her, making her feel older than she really was. She reached up and softly ran her delicate fingers through Noma's hair, making the infant coo with affection at her touch. Just that little innocent sound from Noma made Makima widely smile, no longer feeling afraid as she had been earlier. Now all she felt was happiness and love, knowing that her mother would be alright and that they had a new member of their family to cherish and adore.

"So, what do you think?" asked Katara, tilting her head towards Makima so that she could see her daughter's sparkling eyes, which were still wide with amazement and wonder. Aang couldn't help but feel himself tear up at the sight of his eldest child holding her little brother in her arms, reminding himself how lucky he was to have been blessed with a family of his own, how fortunate he was to hold such endless love for Katara, Makima, and now Noma.

Makima looked up from her brother and asked her mother the only question she could think of at the moment…

"Can I have another one?"

Everyone laughed their hearts out for almost three minutes, little Makima laughing along with them the whole time.


	4. Losing Everything

To start off, I just want to say that I drew inspiration for this chapter from one of **AvatarIsMyLife**'s stories, "New Life", so I'd like to give her credit. :) I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I'm sure you'll enjoying reading it. Enjoy (like I need to tell you that. :P) and review! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

**Losing Everything**

"Dad!" called Makima as she ran through the house. "Dad, where are you?" Six-year old Makima had searched all throughout the entire house looking for her father, but to no avail. Deciding to ask for help, she ran to Noma's room, which was right next to hers and was built by both of her parents using their Waterbending shortly after Noma was born, adding on another room to the large house.

In Noma's room, she found her mother and her two-year old brother playfully passing a stream of water back and forth between each other. About six months before, the Avatar's family had discovered that Noma was a Waterbender when the toddler caught hold of part of a water stream that Aang was using to practice. Katara took it upon herself to train her baby son in tiny little steps with his Waterbending, playing small games like this to promote both fun for himself and growth in his bending abilities.

"Mom," breathlessly said Makima, causing her mother to look over at her without losing control of the water stream, "have you seen Dad? I wanted to practice my Waterbending with him since you're busy playing with Noma."

"He's outside, sweetie," replied Katara as she continued to stream the water back and forth between her and Noma, keeping it on course whenever she passed back control to him, making the toddler laugh with glee each time it was his turn. "He told me this morning that he had something to do, and that's when he went outside."

"Hi, Kima!" happily greeted Noma, smiling brightly up at his sister. He hadn't yet perfected saying her name, so he just called her Kima instead of Makima.

Makima smiled down at her baby brother, who she absolutely adored ever since the day he was born, and said, "Hi, baby Noma. Are you having fun with Mommy?"

"Yep!" nodded Noma, eliciting a mirthful chuckle from Katara.

"Thanks for the help, Mom," said Makima as she turned to leave the room. "I love you!" she called over her shoulder as she ran towards the front door.

"I love you too, honey!" affectionately replied Katara as she heard her daughter run out of the house. However, something was bothering her…maybe it had to do with the way Aang was acting earlier that morning. He seemed a bit mournful and distant, a sort of vacant look in his eyes when he told her that he needed to go outside to do something. Katara knew from her experience with her husband that something was bothering him, but he wouldn't tell her unless he felt like it was worth sharing with her. Even with all the painful secrets he had shared with her in the past, there were still some things that he didn't share with her, and it killed her not to be able to help him if he didn't share his woes with her.

As soon as Makima burst out of the house, she looked around at the snow field around their house. Not seeing her father off in the distance practicing his Firebending, she immediately looked to her right and spotted Appa, who was in his usual spot resting by the house. Up on the Sky Bison's head was her father, dressed in a heavy parka, hugging his legs to his chest and staring out at the horizon like a silent sentinel.

Concerned, Makima walked over to Appa, who happily grunted at her approach. "Shh, Appa," she whispered to the massive beast, who calmed at the sound of her voice. She wanted her presence to be unknown to her father until she was right on top of him. She hoisted herself up on Appa's horn, climbing up the fur on his head and peeking over the edge up at her father, who hadn't yet noticed her.

Aang heavily sighed, resting his chin on his knees as he sadly said, "It's still hard to believe that it's all gone, Appa." The Avatar's Animal Guide perked up his head, forlornly groaning to the artic sky, sorrow emanating throughout his furry body. Aang hung his head down, burying his forehead into his knees and looking at his legs, leaving Makima to wonder why her father was acting this way. "I'm a failure…" she heard him mutter, his voice low and ragged with choked grief.

"Dad?" she timidly asked as she popped her head up further, wanting to get his attention. Aang's head immediately snapped up and looked at her with wide eyes, as if he didn't expect her to be there.

"Makima," he surprisingly said, as if she had just dropped out the sky. "What are you doing here?"

Pulling herself up onto Appa's head and scrambling over to her father's side, Makima said, "Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to practice Waterbending with me, but…" She sat down next to him, awkwardly looking off to her right and playing with the trailing end of her black braid.

"But then you saw me like this," finished Aang, knowing that his little girl was worried by what she had seen. Makima merely nodded, choosing not to make eye contact with her father. Aang lowered his legs until he was sitting cross-legged, turning his head to look back over the vast horizon with mournful and emotional eyes. After many long moments of tense silence, Aang softly asked, "Makima, did your mother ever tell the whole story of who I really am?"

"She's told me that you're the Avatar," answered Makima as she looked back up at Aang. "You're the one who beat the meanie Fire Lord Ozai and ended the Hundred Year War."

Aang hollowly chuckled at his daughter's choice of words to describe his famous foe. "Yes, but did Mom ever tell you that I'm the only person in the entire world who can Airbend?" Appa growled a protest at Aang's statement, who acquiesced him by saying, "Okay, Appa can Airbend too, but I'm the only _human_ who can Airbend." Satisfied, Appa settled himself back into the snow. Aang desolately sighed as he stared out at the snow-covered wasteland, feeling his heart becoming as lifeless and barren as the sight before him.

It took Makima a while to connect the dots, but it all suddenly made sense to her: in all her travels with her family around the world, she had seen the Northern Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation. But there were certain places that they never stopped at: the Air Temples. Every time Appa had flown close to one, her father had directed his Animal Guide wide around the structures, avoiding them as if they contained a deadly sickness. Whenever her mother would ask her father what was wrong, he would just skirt around the question, not even making eye contact with any of the Temples.

And there was one thing Makima noticed about all of these Temples: there was no one in them.

Not a soul.

Finally, Makima slowly asked, "Dad…what happened to all of the other Airbenders?" Aang didn't answer for a while, letting all the memories of his people rush back through his mind, remembering the extinct culture that had given birth to him and made him who he was today. He was the last of his kind, the last human to know the sacred art of Airbending before it was to be lost to the world.

After a pregnant pause, Aang began his tale. "It all started one-hundred and twenty-eight years ago…the Fire Nation Avatar before me, Avatar Roku, was best friends with Fire Lord Sozin. However, Fire Lord Sozin wanted to spread the culture of the Fire Nation to the rest of the world. Roku was against Sozin's plan, saying that the four nations had to stay separate from one another. Sozin planned to begin a war with the rest of the world, but Roku was the only thing standing in his way. So he waited, and after many long years, when Roku was trying to save his island home from a volcanic eruption, Sozin came to help his old friend. Roku was hit by toxic gas coming out of the volcano, and Sozin left him to die, knowing that with Roku out of the way, he could launch his war on the world."

Makima gasped out of the sheer horror of Aang's story, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "How…how could Sozin do something so _awful_?" she asked with great astonishment. "Roku was his best friend, and he just let him die!" Makima angrily furrowed her eyebrows, feeling rage take hold of her as she stood up and shouted, "How can anyone be so _mean_?"

"Makima, sweetie," soothingly said Aang, forcing his daughter to look down at him, "please calm down." Makima's furious face softened at her father's pleading eyes, which were gentle and tender but full of unbearable sadness as well.

Makima sighed and relented, quietly saying, "Okay, Dad…" She wordlessly sat down next to her father again, too ashamed to even look at him. "I'm sorry…"

"There's nothing to be sorry about, sweetie," lovingly assured Aang, leaning over and placing an affectionate kiss on her head, making her smile a little as she glanced up at him. Looking back out at the horizon, Aang continued his story. "What Sozin did to my past life was horrible, but it was nothing compared to what he did next…" Aang trailed off, failing to find the courage to continue as he felt a familiar, aching, piercing grief take hold of his heart. Knowing he had to continue for Makima's sake, he said, "I was born into the Air Nomads, and I lived at the Southern Air Temple for most of my life. Things were peaceful and happy for a time, joyful even, but…"

When Aang hadn't said anything for a few minutes, Makima tentatively asked, "But what, Dad?"

"When I was twelve years old," said Aang, "I found out I was the Avatar. The monks told me this before my sixteenth birthday because they felt like war was coming, and I was going to be needed in order to stop it. The only problem was…that was the only thing they saw me as: the Avatar, not Aang." Feeling bitter tears sting his eyes, his voice began to shake as he said, "Only my guardian, Monk Gyatso, saw me for the little boy I was, but even then the other monks were going to send me away to another Temple to train." His voice dropped to almost an imperceptible whisper as he gripped his woolen pants with trembling fingers and said, "So I ran away…and that's how I got frozen in the iceberg."

It all made sense to Makima now as to why her father had been frozen in an iceberg: he had run away from his home. But the way his body was trembling, the way his pained face looked when those tears filled his eyes, she knew that whatever had happened to his people, it was really bad. "What about the other Airbenders?" apprehensively asked Makima, wondering if she was going too far. Seeing her father in such a disturbed and unsettling state scared her, but she just had to know.

"After I ran away," choked out Aang, his tears now flowing down his face like an unrelenting waterfall of agony, "a Comet appeared in the sky. This Comet made Firebenders even stronger, making their flames very powerful and deadly. Using the power of the Comet, Sozin…" Unable to contain the onslaught of grief and maddening sadness any longer, Aang let out a stifled sob and brokenly said, "Sozin and his Firebenders wiped out the Air Temples in order to kill me. He wiped out my people…" He couldn't continue any further, Aang broke down completely, burying his face in his hands as he openly wept.

Makima stared open-mouthed at her father as she felt burning tears assail her own eyes, feeling her heart unbearably pound in her chest as she realized that her father was really the last of his people. All of the Air Nomads, man, woman, and child, perished in the monstrous wake of the inferno that was the Comet, leaving her father to be the last Airbender in the entire world. Feeling an overwhelming need to comfort her father, she carefully wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her head against his as her tears flowed, painfully whispering, "I'm sorry, Daddy…I'm so, so, so sorry about what happened." Aang's weeping only increased in its strength, leaving Makima to quietly cry along with him.

Katara walked out of the house at that moment, having put Noma down for his nap, her eyebrow perplexedly raised as she thought she heard someone crying. Looking over to her right, where the sobbing was coming from, she gasped as she saw Aang and Makima crying up on top of Appa. Without a word, she ran over to Appa and scampered up the Bison's head. When she had reached the top, she worriedly asked, "What's going on here?"

Aang and Makima looked over at her, their eyes overflowing with unstoppable tears. Sniffling as she wiped away her tears, Makima raggedly said, "I saw Dad out here, and he looked really sad about something. He told me why he was so sad, and…" Makima couldn't bring herself to say anymore and buried her face in her father's shoulder, crying again as her father held her and tried to comfort her.

"What is she talking about, Aang?" asked Katara, moving in front of her husband.

Taking in a deep, quavering breath, Aang looked up at her and said, "I told her the reason why I was sad was because of what happened to my people. Today's the anniversary of Sozin's Comet, the same day my people were killed…"

Katara's eyes widened, realizing that this was the reason why he had looked so distant earlier that morning. "Oh, Aang, why didn't you tell me?" She moved over to her husband and their child, enveloping the two of them in her loving arms as she said to Aang, "I could have helped comfort you, sweetie."

"It's all my fault…" Aang guiltily murmured, his voice choked with grievous emotions.

"No, it's not, Aang," she assured him, kissing him on the head. "You know that there's nothing you could have done to help them."

Aang shook his head and said, "No, that's not what I meant." Katara drew out of the embrace, keeping him at arm's length as she stared at him with confused eyes. Glancing up at her, he explained. "I'm the only Airbender in the world right now, and yet we haven't had an Airbending child." Makima had somewhat settled in Aang's arms, her crying having died away as Katara was comforting Aang.

Katara looked down at Makima and said, "Honey, why don't you go inside and play? I need to talk to your father about something."

"I'm not leaving Dad," protested Makima as she hugged her father more tightly, not wanting to leave him in his time of mourning.

"Hey," softly said Aang as he looked down at Makima, who stared up at him with questioning silver eyes, "as long as I have Mom around, I'll be fine. Okay?"

Makima was quiet for a few moments, knowing that her father was right. "Okay, Dad." Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she said, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Makima," smiled Aang, pressing another sweet kiss on Makima's forehead before the child separated herself from her father, giving him one last, longing look before she jumped down off of Appa and headed inside to play.

Once Makima was gone, Katara looked over at Aang and asked, "So the reason why you're upset is because we haven't had an Airbending child yet?"

"Yes," nodded Aang as he looked back over at her, shame pressing down his heart like a leaden weight. "I'm not going to be around forever; the next Avatar will need to know Airbending, but I have no one to teach it to so that they can teach my successor." Looking down at his lap, he heavily added, "I'm failing my people by not continuing on the tradition of Airbending…"

Katara bit her lip as she thought of some way of making her husband happy, a way for him to stop beating himself up about the legacy of his birth bending art. "We could try again tonight…" she meekly murmured, letting the insinuation carry over to her husband's ears.

"What do you mean?" asked Aang, looking over at her with confused eyes.

Pressing herself closer to him, Katara quietly said, "We could try having another child tonight, one who will hopefully inherit your Airbending. If that doesn't happen, we'll keep trying until we succeed. I don't care how painful the process may be for me or how long it'll take; you _will_ have an Airbending child by me before you pass on into your next life."

Aang couldn't help but sweetly smile at her sincere offer, but he merely took her hands in his and kissed her fingers as he said, "That's very kind of you to want to do such a thing, Katara, but I'm not going to place that burden on you. If the Spirits decide to bless us with an Airbending child, they will."

"But I can't stand to see you tear yourself apart like this," protested Katara. "As your wife, it's my duty to both bear and raise our children. It's part of my responsibilities to help you produce a child who will end up teaching your successor Airbending."

"Katara," warmly, but firmly, retorted Aang, "you are much more to me than a means to produce an heir for my Airbending. You are my Forever Girl, my eternal soul mate, and the bright Moon Lily of my heart. When we decide that it's time we have another child in the hope of producing an Airbender, we will. Until then, however, don't speak of this again." He kissed her nose, resting his forehead against hers as he quietly said, "When we make love, I want it to be because you want it, not because you're forcing yourself to."

Katara stared into Aang's handsome eyes for a few moments, softly sighing and closing her eyes when she realized that he was right: their lovemaking was something that was sacred, special, and unique to them, not a mechanism by which the Airbender population could be revitalized. "You're right," she whispered as she opened her eyes. "I shouldn't take that sort of thing and turn it something less than perfect." Smiling just a little, she added, "Besides, every time we do make love is absolutely perfect, and I don't want to ruin that."

"Neither do I," warmly responded Aang. "Neither do I." They stared at each other for a little while, letting only their smiles and shining eyes speak for the love that they held for each other. Finally, Aang sighed and said, "I guess I should go play with Makima. After my story, I'm sure she'll need as much cheering up as I did."

As Aang got up to go, Katara suddenly said, "Wait." When Aang looked back at her, she asked, "Can you promise to not hold that sort of thing in next time? You know how worried I get whenever something's bothering you."

"I promise," assuredly smiled Aang, eliciting a gratified smile from Katara. "I love you, Katara," he said before planting a sweet and chaste kiss on her lips.

"I love you more, Aang," teased Katara as she quickly kissed him back.

"Not as much as I love you," he winked, getting up and jumping off of Appa, throwing a loving smile over his shoulder before he went inside the house. Soon, the sounds of Makima's playful laughter and Aang's merry voice filled the air, making Katara's heart soar with gladness that her little family was whole again.

Katara looked down at her stomach, placing a reverent hand on her midsection and feeling the smooth skin underneath, widely smiling at the thought of another little child growing inside of her womb, a child that she wanted by choice and total consent.


End file.
